


Alone on the Road

by angelheartbeat



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AU, Adult Bill Cipher, Adult Dipper Pines, Alternate Universe, Bill falls in love too easily, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Human Bill Cipher, M/M, Road Trip, Road Trips, Slow Build, They're already friends, Trans, Trans Dipper, Trans Dipper Pines, nerds on a road trip, road trip au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-09-15 19:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9253865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelheartbeat/pseuds/angelheartbeat
Summary: Dipper and Bill are both going through some rough times, and Dipper finally snaps when Bill spends the night crying because his latest girlfriend broke his heart again.He suggests a road trip, just the two of them, for however long they wanna be out there.Somehow they ended up driving across America for a lot longer than anticipated.Neither of them really wanted to go home and leave the other.





	1. hate it when you cry

**Author's Note:**

> ft. my absolute zero knowledge of america that'll be fun oh boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from Die For You by The Weeknd (ft daft punk)  
> bc im being extra and having my chapter titles be song lyrics
> 
> so hey im writing a new fanfic and i don't know why  
> it's gonna be maybe good  
> but thats debatable
> 
> enjoy or whatever lol

" ** _AND STAY OUT!!"_**

Tossing his now ex-girlfriends bag out the door after her, Bill slammed his door and stood there for a moment, shaking with anger and sadness. This was the third girlfriend in just half a year he had caught cheating on him. The fucking  _third._ In  _half a year._ Who the fuck had luck that bad? 

Dropping his head into his hands, the blond groaned. Outside the slammed front door, he could hear the faint sounds of a car starting, and the low growl of Pyronicas new man. 

"Fuck you too," he whispered into his palms, tears forcing themselves through his fingers. He sniffed, scowled, and rubbed them away furiously, standing up fully and refusing to allow himself to be beaten. Not yet, anyway. 

His fumbling fingers grabbed into his back pocket, pulling out his phone. The motions were so familiar now, it took hardly a second for his screen to be displaying Dippers contact, and his fingers to be hovering over the call button. 

His eyes flicked to the glowing clock in his kitchen, displaying the time of his latest breakup.  _3:08am._ A new record for how late into the night he could argue. 

Slowly looking back at his screen, he hesitated for a moment. Maybe Pine Tree would be mad for calling so late? 

Bill's lidded eyes closed for a moment, and before he knew it the phone was to his ear, the dial tone ringing. It rung a couple of times, before there was a click, and Dipper's oh-so-familiar sleepy voice greeted his ears. 

"B-Bill?"

"Dipper, I, uh-" Gnawing nervously at his lip, Bill cursed his inability to just talk to his best friend. "Can I come over? Like, now?"

"What happened..?" There was a yawn, and the blond felt a stab of guilt. Dipper hadn't been awake, that was for sure. 

"Well, I came home and found Pyronica making out with some dude in our bedroom. So. Uh. Emotional support? Hear me out, Pine Tree, I know it's late-"

In an instant Dipper's voice was more alert, and there were sounds similar to someone crawling out of bed. "It's cool, dude." Another yawn. "I'll come over."

"Wait, really? I thought you were the neurotic paranoid nerd who never leaves the house after 9pm?"

"Har har. Just shut up and don't leave."

"I wasn't planning to."

There was the click of Pine Tree hanging up, before Bill allowed his phone to slip from his hand. The thing clattered to the floor, the distinct sound of the screen cracking echoing in Bill's ears. 

"Fuck," he muttered, but didnt bother to pick it up. "Just hold it together for ten more minutes."

Instinctively, his eyes flicked back up to the glowing clock face in the kitchen.  _3:10am_. Just ten more minutes, thats all it took to walk from Dipper's place to his. Ten minutes and then he could collapse into his best friends arms and they could complain about how shitty life had been lately until the sun came up. 

* * *

After just five minutes, Bill was pacing impatiently, his movement erratic and antsy. Memories of his and Pyronicas bare two months together ran through his head, although there wasn't much together. The whole relationship had run on thin ice. A couple of nice dates and mediocre memories at best when it came to the bedroom were all he had to show. 

And yet, he had been in love with her. With all of them. Every single shitty and not-so-shitty girl who had crossed Bill's path had been one he had fallen head-over-heels in love with. Time and time again, he had sworn off love, sworn to not fall so easily, sworn to stay single for more than two months, and time and time again he had failed. Fallen hopelessly and incredibly in love with the next girl he flirted with at a party and made out with in a corner, with the girl he had shared glances with at a store and ended up kissing behind the store in question, with all the countless girls he had found and barely known for more than a day. Despite his charm and flirting, it was somewhat rare for a relationship to unfold. 

When it did, though, it always failed. Always. Something happened, the girl got bored and cheated, they had an explosive argument, anything. And every time, Bill had been heartbroken, sobbing on Dippers shoulder week after week. Pine Tree had always been there to listen, always been stability in his constantly changing life. And he had to be grateful for that, despite the brunets protective, paranoid nature. 

Speaking of Pine Tree, there was finally the knock on the door Bill had been waiting for, and he rushed up to fling it open perhaps a little too fast. 

"Whoa. Uh, hey dude." Dipper blinked, looking a little intimidated by how fast and aggressively Bill had pulled the door open. 

Bill felt all the tension flow out of his body. It had been at least a week since he had last seen Dipper in person, and before he could stop himself he was wrapping his arms around the short brunet and lifting him a little way into the air in a tight hug. 

"Ack! Put me down!"

Bill didnt listen to the complaints at first, burying his nose into Pine Trees shoulder and breathing in his familiar sleepy pine-needle scent. That was before he realised what he was doing and dropped Dipper in an instant, recreating the height difference between them. 

"I've missed you, man," Bill said, trying to regain his poise. Dipper simply chuckled, pushing past Bill. 

"Alright, man. You wanna spill, or talk about trivial shit?"

Thinking about it, it  _had_ been a long time since they had talked about anything except life troubles. Bill realised with a shock that he didnt even know what Dipper had been doing for the last six months. "Uh.. Trivial shit. Let's catch up."

* * *

"So, wait, you passed your driving test first try?!" 

Dipper sounded incredulous, and Bill chuckled. "You didnt?"

The brunet turned red. "Of course I did! Cmon, man, have some faith!"

"Well, I'm just glad you can drive now. Say, why didnt you just drive here now you've got your licence?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Dipper turned a little redder. "Don't have a car yet."

Punching him gently on the arm, Bill took another swig of beer with his other hand. "You can borrow mine if you ever need to get anywhere. We should go on trips sometime or junk. We barely ever hang out."

"Yknow, thats not a bad idea..."

Leaving Dipper to ponder, Bill stretched and dumped his bottle of beer in the trash before making his way through the hall to the toilet. As soon as he shut the door, the warm aura of being around Dipper was lost, and thoughts of Pyronica came flooding back.  

When he came out of the bathroom, his eyes were unfocused, and he dragged himself into the kitchen with a pale face and tearstained cheeks. Glancing up, Dipper's eyes widened in horror, and he shoved aside the beer bottle he was about to pick up, to rush to Bill's side. 

"Bill, what the heck happened?" the brunet said, his eyebrows drawing together in worry. Hearing the genuine concern in Dippers voice, Bills eyes began to water once again, and before he knew it he was sobbing into Dipper's comforting shoulder.

* * *

When he pulled himself together, the first thing he smelt was pine needles, indicating that his nose was still buried in Pine Trees shoulder. It had always been a mystery to him, how Dipper always smelt like a forest, and he wasn't quite sure when it had started, either. Had he always smelt like that? Is that why his nickname was Pine Tree? 

"You okay?"

The soft voice broke through Bill's clouded mind, and he looked up at the owner of it, smiling at him. 

Nodding, Bill ran the back of his hand over his eyes, collecting the tears still threatening. "It's not the first time, huh?"

Knowing that Bill was referring to himself crying on Dippers shoulder, the brunet nodded. "Still love ya, though, man." He reached out a hand, ruffling Bill's blond locks, and the latter smiled, sitting up a little. 

"So I was thinking," Dipper started, tapping softly on the table. "About you saying we should go on a trip."

"It was just an idea, uh, if you don't want to ever then-"

"No, I think we should. We should go on a road trip. It'll help you get over this and it'll help me get over... everything. Life sucks, man."

"Wait, what do you mean? Like, just take the car around the country?"

"Don't you like the idea?"

"I think it's great, but you're so paranoid you'd probably freak out the first time a bird shit on the windscreen." Bill grinned, poking Dippers cheek, and the latter scowled in playful protest. 

"Hey, I'm not that bad! It could be fun! Some time away from home, hang out properly for once, I don't know.."

"Alright, I'm convinced." Stretching, Bill glanced at the clock and his eyes widened.  _5:03am._ It'd been a while since Dipper had arrived, and when the brunets eyes travelled to the clock as well, his eyes widened just the same. 

"Shit, I should get going-"

"Stay the night. Sleep on the sofa. I don't want you walking home so late. Or early? I dont know, man."

Before either of them could comprehend the situation, Dipper was laying on Bill's sofa under a blanket, wearing one of Bill's old oversized shirts. Bill was laying on his own bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts refusing to calm down. 

A thought of one person in particular made his heart rate slow, and he turned over with a small smile, settling down to sleep. Everything could just be forgotten until he woke up. 

The thought was, of course, of Dipper. How cliché. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man this is a rlly bad start but hey hey let's fucking do this
> 
> im probably gonna neglect this after like 3 chapters but give it a go pls and thank I love you
> 
> i hope you enjoyed and junk


	2. right time to say goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song title from: say goodbye by chris brown
> 
> this got way more positive feedback than I was expecting! im glad you all like this so far!
> 
> side note: how ford fits into this is that he simply never left, he and stan just live in the mystery shack, but thats not really relevant to the story, it's just in case anyone wondered why they're both there.

"Are you kidding me, brobro?"

When Dipper had eventually returned to the Mystery Shack, where he, Mabel and his great uncles lived, his proposed plan for he and Bill to leave was met with much disdain from the female twin. The two weren't arguing, exactly, but they were standing in the kitchen with a fair amount of tension between them. 

"Cmon, Mabel, you've got Waddles and Pacifica and Candy and Grenda and loads of other people! You won't be lonely without us." Dipper pleaded, biting his lip. 

"Yeah, but you're just going to leave for how long? And what are you even going to go in?" the taller of the two shot back, her arms folded. Swallowing hard, Dipper closed his eyes for a second, trying to keep his cool. 

"I already said, we're going in Bill's car. I've got my licence, we can take turns driving, and we won't be gone forever! A couple of months, at most."

"You barely got your licence, Dipsauce." At that, Dipper turned red and kicked at the ground. "What am I going to do while you're away?"

Sighing, the male twin looked back up at her with begging eyes. "For one thing, you need to look after the Stans. And I already said, you're friends with everyone in this town! You never get bored."

As if summoned by hearing his name, Grunkle Stan walked in just then, looking even less appealing than he usually did. "Who needs to look after me?" he asked in his gruff voice, scratching his chest through his old vest top. 

Turning simultaneously, the twins looked at him. "Stan!"

"What's goin' on, you two?" the old man demanded, opening the fridge to retrieve a Pitt cola. He eyeballed the two young adults, who looked sheepish, although only in Dipper's case. Mabel seemed to see her uncles appearance as an opportunity to further her point, folding her arms and turning to Dipper. 

"Dipper wants to go on a road trip with Bill." she said, her voice sulky. After a few seconds of silence, Stan burst out laughing, almost spilling his soda. He slapped Mabel on the back, forcing her to rub it and wince, and then took another sip of soda before he replied. 

"Good for the kid! It'll get him out of the house for once, and it'll be a good way to meet a new girl."

Dipper's face contorted into slight disgust at his grunkles suggestion, although it wouldn't be the first time he had flirted on a road trip, trying to meet girls. This time, though, he didnt really need to. There was no one he was really trying to get over. 

"So you're all for it, Grunkle Stan?" the male twin piped up hopefully, much to Mabel's annoyance. 

"Course I am, kid!" came the cheerful reply, forcing Mabel to glare a little. Cheering, Dipper jumped up and punched the air, before yelling out thanks as he ran upstairs. 

"Stan, wouldn't you rather have him around..?" Mabel asked hopefully, rubbing her arm. 

Stan looked down at her, frowning. "What's gotten into you? You're normally all for your brother having fun."

"No, no, it's not that I don't want him to have fun, I just... He's leaving for probably months, he said, and I'm really gonna miss him..."

"Aw, cmon, pumpkin, I'm sure it'll be fine! You can still call him, right?" Playfully punching her on the arm, Stan smiled, in an attempt to cheer her up. His face fell when she didnt smile back, simply stared at the floor. "Mabel. I'm sure he's gonna miss you too! Kid cant live without you!"

"You think?" she returned, a bit of cheer in her voice again. 

"Oh, I know." Ruffling her hair cheerfully, Stan was pleased to see her smile return as she batted away his hand. "And besides, you get to stay here with me!"

"Haha, alright. Ya got me."

Opening the fridge and getting her own soda, Mabel held it up, Stan clinking his can against hers. They drank in silence for a few moments, before Stan started rambling about some crazy customer he had seen, and before long Dippers trip had been forgotten. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Dipper himself was upstairs, excitedly shoving clothes and books into a suitcase. His phone was beside him, on speaker to his best friend. The two were talking about what to bring, neither of them really sure what one took on a road trip, when Ford made his way up to the attic bedroom. 

"Knock knock," came the deep voice, as Ford's smiling face appeared. 

"Grunkle Ford!" Dipper said happily, picking up his phone. "I'll be back in a minute, Bill, just gotta talk to Ford."

"Oh, right, yeah.. See ya in a minute, Pine Tree."

The blond hung up and Dipper threw aside his phone onto his bed, smiling widely at his uncle. The latter smiled back, holding up one six-fingered hand in greeting. 

"I heard the argument with Mabel. So you're going on a road trip, huh?" the older man said, sitting down beside Dipper's suitcase and patting the space next to him, indicating Dipper to sit down. The brunet did so, tapping his fingers on his knee. 

"Yeah. I suggested it to Bill to get both our minds off life."

"That's a good idea."

Leaning back, Ford looked at the ceiling peacefully, not saying anything. Dipper was sitting there awkwardly, considering continuing his packing, when his uncle spoke again.

"You're a young man with your wits about you, are you not?" he said, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. His eyebrows drawing together, Dipper tilted his head.

"Um... Yes?" the younger man said, not quite sure if it was an actual question or not. 

Ford chuckled and sat up properly, putting his hand on Dipper's shoulder. "I want you to be careful with Bill. I don't trust that boy."

"It's fine, Ford, I've known him forever! He would never do anything to hurt me."

"Mm. Indeed." The scepticism in his voice was clear, and Dipper frowned, confused as to what his uncle meant, before the latter continued. "It'll be strange, not having you around. Having a mind such as my own was useful. I'll miss you. And I dont want you to forget me, no matter what happens."

The tone of Ford's voice made Dipper suddenly doubt himself, and he had a horrible feeling Ford knew something that he didnt. "Ford, what do you-"

"Anyway." Standing up, Ford stretched out his arms and cracked his fingers, followed suit by the young brunet. Turning and wrapping Dipper in his arms, Ford embraced him for a few moments before pulling away, his hands on Dippers shoulders. "You have fun on your trip. When do you leave?"

"We're planning to leave tomorrow morning, probably early. I'm staying at Bill's tonight, though, so I'm packing and saying goodbye to everyone today."

"I'll be in my room if you want to drop by. See you, Dipper."

Adjusting his glasses, Ford let go of Dipper's shoulders and made his way back downstairs, leaving Dipper confused. He shrugged off the feelings, though, picking up his phone and dialling Bill again, filed under Dickhead in his contacts. The name was created so long ago, when they were both kind of jerks to each other, and Dipper made a mental note to change it. It was kinda insensitive, he supposed, now life had gotten in the way of playful douchebaggery. 

"Hey dude," the brunet said, pressing speaker once Bill picked up and returning to packing his suitcase. 

"What did Sixer have to say?" was the blonds immediate question, distorted through the poor quality of the call. Chuckling a little, Dipper folded yet another shirt, tucking it into his perfectly organised system. 

"He was just saying bye." Dipper said, carefully skirting around Ford's apparent mistrust of the man on the other end of the phone. Bill made a disgruntled noise. 

"Anyway. Are you almost done?"

"Uhh..." Dippers eyes scanned his suitcase, analysing what else he had to pack, apart from the obvious essentials like his phone and notebooks and bathroom stuff. "Almost."

"Cool. I'm almost done as well, so I'll see you over here soon, right?"

"Yeah, I'll head over soon enough. Gotta say bye first."

"Okay, cool. See you."

Dipper heard the sound of Bill hanging up, and bit his lip with anxiety. Bill had been far more hostile and cold than he usually was, and their phone conversations usually lasted at least five minutes. Recently, they had lasted barely one. 

Whatever. It couldn't be anything too important, right? Their relationship would be so much better after this trip, after all. Yeah, they would get on so much better. 

With renewed confidence, Dipper started to finish off his packing. 

* * *

Around ten minutes later, Dipper came downstairs with his two bags, one suitcase and one backpack of essentials, to find his sister and one of his uncles at the kitchen table, cheerfully sharing what looked like beer. 

"What happened to the Pitt cola?" Dipper asked, half amused and half worried. He picked up an abandoned beer bottle, frowning when he saw Mabel's stickers all over the label. 

"Dippingsauce!" his sister giggled, hiccuping. "We ran out of soda, so Stanny here brought out beers!"

"Are you... drunk?" Dipper asked, inwardly cursing. He didnt want to say goodbye to his sister and uncle while they were pissed off their asses. 

"Just a bit," Stan pitched in, clearly more sober than Mabel was. Either that, or he was far better at acting sober. 

"Oh. Uh... I'm leaving now, so... um..."

Her eyes widening, Mabel hopped off her chair and made her way over to Dipper. She smiled, still a little giggly, and grabbed something off the table, wrapped loosely in tissue paper. 

"I made you a thing," she said, hiccuping a little at the end of the sentence, but the sentiment was there. Dipper smiled, unwrapping the sparse paper, to reveal what he expected, a sweater. Holding it up revealed the writing on it, loosely stitched with slightly drunken love. A pine tree was stitched underneath it, pulling Dippers face into a smile. 

**_ROAD TRIP!_ **

The word Trip barely had room for the R, and Mabel pointed at it with a sheepish smile. "I messed up that part," she said, sounding genuine and innocent. 

"That's okay, Mabes. Thank you." her twin replied, as he pulled the sweater over his head. Once it was on he held out his arms. "Awkward sibling hug?"

Mabel smiled back, hugging him tight. "Sincere sibling hug." 

"Oh, this is sickeningly sentimental," Stan complained from his seat, interrupting the moment. Dipper laughed, turning away for a moment to clear the tears collecting in his eyes. "He's only gonna be gone, what, three months? That's nothing, pumpkin. He'll be back before you know it."

"Yeah, I guess," Mabel giggled, alcohol clouding her head once again. 

"Love you too, Stan," Dipper laughed, making his way to the old man and hugging him as well. Stan didnt lift his arms an inch, but from Mabels perspective she could see his eyes welling up. When Dipper pulled away, Stan flinched, rubbing the tears away and complaining about something in his eye. 

"I'm gonna go say goodbye to Ford. I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

True to his word, Dipper returned within a few minutes, fresh tear tracks staining his cheeks. He knew that he would see them all again soon enough, that he was spending months with his best friend, but he couldn't help but feel like this was the end. It would be the first time he and Mabel would be separated for more than a week or so, that was for sure. 

"Well, this is it." the male twin said with a smile, standing at the door of the Mystery Shack. "See you in a few months, I guess."

Mabel wiped a tear from her eye, pulling Dipper into one last hug. 

"We shouldn't be so sad," she said, smiling as tears ran down her cheeks. "It's only for a few months."

"It's the first time we've been apart for so long, I guess," Dipper replied, pulling apart and kissing his sister on the forehead. 

"I'm gonna miss you so badly," the female responded, sniffing. Dipper swallowed, desperately trying to hold back his tears. 

"I'm gonna miss you too, Mabes." he said, his face twitching with the effort to not cry. "Real bad."

"Well, we shouldn't make this any more painful," Stan said, pulling the two of them apart brusquely. His eyes were full of tears as well, a point which didnt go unnoticed by the twins, but they tactfully chose to ignore it. 

"Love you, guys," Dipper said, a half-smile on his face. He picked up his suitcase, pushing open the door with his other hand. His sister held up her hand in a goodbye, with Stan touching her shoulder comfortingly. 

"Love you too, Dips," Mabel said as he walked away, knowing it was irrational to be so emotional, but unable to help herself. This was what she had been scared of. 

* * *

Ten minutes later, Dipper was standing at Bill's tiny house, on the other side of town. He took a deep breath, his heart still full of sadness from saying goodbye to his family, but slowly falling with new hopes for his adventure. Tomorrow. 

Tomorrow was another day. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit boi who asked for feels
> 
> fuckign say something came on while i was writing the sad bits im ready to sue
> 
> i promise next chapter will actually start off the road trip and it won't be so sad bc what the fuck @ me
> 
> i hope u enjoyed n you dont hate it now pls dont throw things at me


	3. soaring into the unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title: into the unknown by starset
> 
> Okay. Before this starts, one thing. 
> 
> I KNOW FUCK ALL ABOUT AMERICAN ATTRACTIONS/STATES/ROADS/ANYTHING. 
> 
> so,,, there's gonna be a lot of mistakes and such (i am doing research to try and lessen my mistakes) so bear with me please!! 
> 
> if you're American and i fuck something up (something small i can fix without adjusting the fic too much) please tell me! it would be a huge help
> 
> anyway that was my lil british excuse for being bad aha
> 
> im very british if I say a Brit thing you dont understand just ask

A lump formed in Dipper's throat as he looked up at the sky, soft white clouds skittering across his vision. Bill was packing the last bag they needed, the boot of his car relatively empty. Dipper felt completely unprepared. 

"Well?" the tall blonde asked as he straightened up, shutting the boot with a definitive slam. Biting his lip, Dipper looked at him with a smile. 

"Into the unknown, huh?" he said jokingly, and Bill forced a half-hearted smile. "Who's gonna drive to start with?"

Chuckling, Bill pulled the car keys out of his pocket and spun them around his finger. "You probably cant even reach the wheel, shorty."

"Hey, I'm not short! You're just... weirdly tall!" Dipper shot back, a genuine laugh escaping him, lightening the mood for both of them. They tossed light insults back and forth as they slid into the front seats, Bill revving up the car with a jolt of excitement.

"You got everything?" Bill asked one last time, knowing his best friends worrying tendencies. When he was greeted with the brunet nodding, he smirked and tapped the wheel. 

The car hummed happily as Bill pulled out of the driveway and made his way onto the road, humming softly under his breath. Dipper strained slightly to hear the song he was humming, but the blonde fell silent after just a few notes. 

Staring out of the window and watching the town he loved fall back behind him felt weird. Dipper sighed as he looked back, imagining Mabel sitting in the Mystery Shack, probably at least a little hungover and lonely. He couldnt even imagine what it was like for Bill, knowing the blonde had never left Gravity Falls for more than a day or so in his whole life. 

But before long the woods fell away, leaving them driving along on the open road in awkward silence. And then they were off, out of Gravity Falls on some adventure planned in less than two days. 

* * *

"Do you wanna switch?" Dipper asked after about an hour, sick of the awkward tense silence as he looked out the window and Bill drove. The blonde looked over for a moment, looking almost surprised at Dipper talking. 

"Hm? No, it's cool. We should pull over soon though, get something to eat?" he suggested instead, looking along the roadside for a sign. Dipper nodded, digging in his bag for his phone.

"Okay, so, finances." he said with authority, and Bill rolled his eyes jokingly. "Don't be like that, money is important. We have around five hundred dollars to start with, but there's something I'm working on at the moment that can get us quite a bit more. And I assume we can always get money out from banks and stuff, but I'd rather keep it to what we set aside."

Laughing, Bill raised an eyebrow. "Not planning to rob a bank, I hope?"

"No! Work stuff!"

"Alright, so how much are we looking at once we get that done?"

"Uh... Six to seven hundred? Point is, we got quite a lot of money, but how long are we exactly planning to spend on this trip?"

"I thought we said? Month or two."

"Cant be more specific?"

"Jeez, I dont know! Whenever we get sick of each others company, I guess."

"Well, guess we're going back tomorrow then."

"Har har. Alright, I get it." Bill's voice lilted with jokes, and he looked sideways at Dipper, who snorted, making Bill smile. "So, Mr Pines, you were talking about finances?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, if we're gonna be out a while, I guess we should try and keep our money high. So no expensive five-star hotels and gourmet restaurants."

"Aw, nuts. Sure was looking forward to that."

"Sorry we're not rich."

"Shouldn't we have sorted this before we actually got on the road?" Bill asked, narrowing his eyes. Dipper laughed slightly, scratching his neck. 

"Technically, yeah, but I was kinda busy with goodbyes and all." He looked down at his chest, Mabel's poorly stitched message upside down to him. 

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask when you got that sweater." Bill leant back a little, hands still tightly on the wheel. "We haven't rushed this, have we?"

"How do you mean?"

"We didnt plan anything, we haven't even sorted money properly, we have no idea what we're doing..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Actually, don't worry."

"No, tell me. We can go back, we're not far-"

"We're not going back already. I was just thinking this all seems so hurried."

Dipper bit his lip, frowning and looking out his window at the highway. Other cars sped past, all with their own places to be, and he looked back at Bill. "What brought this on?"

"I dunno. Maybe we did rush through the planning. I'm sure it'll sort out once we've been going for a while."

* * *

"No, no, look, that's physically impossible!"

"Cmon, I can do it!"

"Bill, you're gonna kill us!" Dipper sounded like he was legitimately angry, but tears were running down his cheeks with laughter. Bill was sticking his tongue out, his elbows balanced on the wheel as he attempted to drive with them. 

"Shit, maybe you're right," Bill admitted, frowning jokingly as he returned to using his hands. "Still, I'm gonna do it someday!"

"I very much doubt that," Dipper shot back, wiping away his tears of laughter. They went quiet for a moment, the air light with laughter. 

"You hungry?" the blonde asked, changing the subject abruptly. 

"Sure. Wanna stop at a gas station or something?"

"Yeah, Mr Pines and his paranoia couldn't handle a restaurant so early into the trip."

"Oh, shut UP." shot back the brunet, although he liked being called Mr Pines. "I totally could. We've got loads of money."

"Suuure we do, oh neurotic one."

"I told you, we've got hundreds! Way more if we get money out from the bank!"

"Okay, okay." Glancing at the side of the highway, Bill spotted a sign for a gas station and pulled off, humming along with the car. They pulled to a stop and Dipper checked his watch, blinking a little at the time.

"We've been on the road for like two hours already," he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt, and Bill shrugged.

"Time flies when you're having fun."

They walked into the gas station, Bill making a beeline for the junk food. "What do you want?" he called across the station, earning him some dirty looks, particularly from a middle-aged woman buying a coffee. Dipper put a finger to his lips and shrugged, mouthing  _get me anything_ as he picked out two bottles of water. 

"I got you some chips," Bill said, surprising the brunet as he walked up silently. "Are we just getting water?"

"Yes, we are," Dipper replied, gently hitting Bill with the bottle. "We can get shitty drinks once we've lost all hope for a healthy diet."

"Not even Pitt cola...?" the blonde wheedled, pointing enticingly at a bottle of the smaller man's favourite soda. Dipper shook his head, determined to keep them at least a little healthy. He walked off towards the counter, Bill trailing behind, and as soon as the brunet started to pay for their items, he did a turnaround and picked up two bottles of Pitt. 

"Bill, cmon," Dipper called, already beginning to leave, and not noticing Bill holding the soda. The latter quickly made his way to the counter and paid for the soda with his own money, making it back to the car and sliding in without Dipper suspecting a thing. 

"You forgot something," he said smoothly, passing Dipper a bottle of soda, and watching out of the corner of his eye as Dipper's face screwed up, half in annoyance and half in amusement. 

"You're unbelievable," the brunet said, shoving the soda in his backpack. Bill chuckled, taking a swig of his own and leaning on the steering wheel. 

"Unexpected master of magic, thats me," he said, squinting a little at someone leaving the gas station. "Hey, it's that bitch who glared at me for calling to you!"

Sure enough, when Dipper looked up, it was the same middle-aged woman holding her coffee. He shook his head a little, lifting his water to his lips, but jumping in shock and spitting it out, spilling it all over himself, when their car horn sounded out of nowhere. The woman jumped as well, a bit of her coffee spilling, and all of a sudden the car was full of Bill's gleeful laughter.

"Bill! You cant just beep at someone like that!" Dipper berated him, trying to wipe water off his jeans. He opened the car door, leaning out and calling to the woman, "Sorry!"

When he slid back in, Bill was grinning at him with a stupid smile. "Cmon, Pine Tree, it was funny. It was just a joke."

"Alright, maybe it was a little funny. But look, you made me spill water all over myself!" Dipper glared, gesturing with irritation towards his lap. Bill leaned over and tutted, the shit-eating grin still present on his face.

"Not my problem," he replied, sitting back up and turning the key in the ignition. "You'll dry out."

"No thanks to you,"

"Aw, cmon. Besides, it's not like you have nothing to drink now," the blonde pointed out, gesturing at the nearly-empty bottle of water. "And who do you have to thank for that?"

"Myself," Dipper shot back, picking up the other bottle of water and opening that instead. 

"Hey, that ones mine!" Bill playfully smacked Dippers hand, narrowly avoiding him spilling it again. 

"You have soda."

"Touché. Still gave one to you, though~"

"Ugh." Annoyed, Dipper passed Bill the second bottle of water and dug in his backpack for the soda. "I can see what standard of living we're gonna be in by the end of this."

"A great standard!" Bill replied, pulling out of the gas station and making his way onto the road, speeding along it quickly. "Chips?"

"Not while you're driving."

"Awww, shit."

They drove on, moving at a fast pace, before Dipper smacked his own hand. "Fuck!"

"What happened?" Bill asked frantically, looking at him sideways. 

"We should've bought a CD at the station!"

"Is that all? We can pick one up at the next one, or we could just listen to stuff on our phones?"

"Eh... Yeah, I guess you're right. You got an aux cord?"

"Of course I do."

Plugging in his phone, Dipper scrolled through a few things and glanced up at Bill. "What do you wanna listen to?"

"What's your recommendation?"

"Dont laugh," Dipper warned, and Bill nodded to show he wouldn't. "Musicals. Hamilton or Heathers, preferably."

Bill snorted a little, and the brunet glared. "You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"Sorry, sorry!" the blonde burst out. "It was just unexpected. Come on, then. Blow me away."

Fiddling around with a few things, Dipper sat back in satisfaction as Big Fun started to fill the car. 

"Didnt know you liked musicals," Bill mentioned as he listened to the unfamiliar song, tapping his finger to the beat. "Especially not ones with songs like this."

"This song is nothing compared to some of the others," Dipper muttered, and the blond chuckled. "They're good, especially these two. Some of them are shit."

"Harsh."

"True."

It didnt take long for Dipper to start singing along, and Bill to be happily nodding and tapping to the beat. Once the song drew to a close, another one started, and before they knew it the whole soundtrack of Heathers was playing all over again. After the third play through, both were singing out loud, laughing and going quiet (on Dippers part at least) at the sexual parts. 

"This is turning out to be a lot more fun than you thought, huh?" Bill asked after a while, his throat sore from yelling out lyrics he didnt even know properly. Dipper shrugged uncomfortably. 

"I knew it would be fun, you were the one worrying we'd rushed."

"Yeah, well, shut up."

"Mature."

Noticing the sky was darkening, Dipper looked around for signs, glad that they were drawing near a city. "We should stop and find a hotel, huh?"

"Sounds good to me."

And so the music stopped as Dipper attempted to look up a place to stay. The car felt empty without it, but they both grew used to the silence again soon enough. 

Their first day on the road started to draw to a close as they drove into an unknown city, throats sore and faces full of smiles. One day down, who knew how long left to go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoa wasn't that fun
> 
> i love heathers
> 
> sorry it took so long to update i had awful writers block  
> hopefully it's okay im not happy with it but hey i didnt want anyone to wait any more  
> i think the next chapter should hopefully:  
> a. come faster  
> b. be a bit clearer
> 
> anyway im trying but i hope you enjoyed?? yeah im gonna go


	4. last night you were in my room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title - shape of you by ed sheeran
> 
> it's been a while here we fuckin go

_Tap tap tap tap tap tap_

Scowling, Bill buried his face into the pillow in a futile attempt to block the sound of Dipper's laptop keys out. The stench emanating from the pillow soon deterred him from that path, and he sat up with a low grumble. 

"Can't sleep?" Dipper asked, not looking up from his screen. His watch beeped.  ** _1:00am_**. 

Bill glared, sighed, lay back down. "It's that bloody tapping, and the stink in this room. We couldn't have gotten a better hotel?"

"We dont wanna tap into our funds too early, dude." There was a sharp click as Dipper finally shut his laptop, with the blonde breathing an inwards sigh of relief. "So this place was our best bet."

"It  _stinks._ "

"You've got something in common with it, then."

A silence fell upon them like a thick, muffling blanket. It wasn't awkward, per say, but it was certainly stifling.

Bill finally broke the silence. "So why are you still awake anyway?"

"I was working on something. I'm an insomniac at the best of times in any case. And I miss home."

"Already? It's been, what, a day?"

Chuckling softly, Dipper threw a pillow at Bill's head, who ducked and wrinkled his nose. "Don't make me stink worse! These pillows smell like vomit, sex, and broken dreams."

"Deep."

A fly buzzed in the darkness, drawing their attention. After a while the low buzzing stopped, and then restarted, and then stopped. The cycle continued for a while, and eventually Dipper let out a yawn.

"What do you think its doing?" he asked sleepily, eyelids drooping. 

"It's a fly. It cant do anything."

"You dont know that."

Falling quiet again, both became absorbed in their own thoughts. Each sat on their own musty bed, bolted to the ground for questionable safety - as though someone would try to steal a motel bed in any case. Bedside tables with likely broken lamps stood beside them, also bolted. Even the sparse decoration of a single framed, abstract painting was bolted to the wall. Besides these bare necessities, little was provided, except for a single window looking out onto a humming neon sign, providing the only light in the room. Your generic crusty motel. 

_Ew._

Not an ideal scenario, for either of them, and certainly not a glamorous start to what could have been great. Their spirits and hopes were still high and free, though. The trip was still young. 

"We should go to Vegas," Bill spoke up suddenly, causing Dipper to furrow his brow and look round. 

"We don't have the money for Vegas?"

"Its what your old man - your old Stan - would want us to do."

"Well yeah, but Stan's not with us, and we can't afford Vegas."

"Please?"

Doing his best puppy dog eyes, Bill begged the brunet and even added a whimper into the act. Rolling his eyes, Dipper tugged on his ear playfully. "We'll see if we've got the money."

"Nice!"

 _He really is like an excitable puppy,_ Dipper thought, a smile crossing his lips. Another thought intercepted it, and he amended the original idea.  _An excitable, emo, depressive, unpredictable bomb of a puppy. With self-esteem issues. Who falls in love far too easily. But man, he knows what he wants in life and he's going to get there._

Much better. 

Meanwhile, Bill was gazing at the brunet, unaware that he was gazing back in the low light provided by the neon sign outside. 

 _He's so... organised and normal,_ Bill's mind whispered to him.  _He actually has a plan in life and sticks to it. Even though he's so anxious and probably depressed - is he depressed? - he's still got his shit together._

Both, completely unbeknownst to the other, had the exact same thought at the exact same time. 

_I'm a fucking mess compared to him._

* * *

"And thats all the people I've kissed," Bill finished off, every inch of him radiating pride, and not a bit of shame.

**_2:45am_ **

His mouth hanging open, Dipper attempted to return his crimson skin to its normal shade. "Dude. I've only kissed, like, three."

"That's cuz you're a nerd."

"No, it's cuz I'm not a man whore."

"Whoa. Calm down." Bills tone was playful, but his aura shifted slightly, no longer exuding total composure and pride, but more like shame and embarrassment. Dipper barely noticed the change in atmosphere, his brain hardly registering the emotion shift. _Mabel would have picked up on it in an instant,_ he thinks later, reminiscing, once his brain caught up and processed the subtle changes. 

For the meantime, he's oblivious. "Just telling the truth, man! Fifty-two people is a LOT."

Shrugging flippantly, Bill hardly seemed to register the number. "It's really not that many. You're just a virgin and a nerd."

"Hey, when did virginity get brought into this?!"

"Right now. So, nerd, are you?"

Turning red once again, Dipper recoiled mentally from the embarrassing question, and Bill's hard, playful stare. 

"A-am I what?"

"A virgin."

"Let me guess, you're not?"

"We've got the new Einstein here, folks." Bill's voice was dripping with sarcasm, something Dipper  _could_ pick up on with minimal effort. 

"Of course I'm not a virgin. What do you take me for?" he bluffed, hoping Bill would take the bait, accept the lie, and leave him be. Of course, he didnt.

"Really?" asked the blond, raising one slim eyebrow. "I dont believe that. You're like a fucking nun."

"Hey!"

"Well, you are. A nun and a hermit."

"What is this, insulting Dipper hour?"

"It's not, but it can be!"

"No thanks. So what if I'm a virgin, anyway? It's really none of your business."

Bill snorted with laughter at Dippers haughty attitude, snorting and giggling even more when the brunet turned red and folded his arms grumpily. "So you are! I fucking knew it."

"It's really no big deal, and none of your business! I just never met the right person, is all."

"Dude, you gotta get out there. You know what - I dare you to have a one night stand at some point in this trip, and lose your virginity."

Dipper pretended to consider it, but his heart was racing. "You're on," he said eventually, after much faked deliberation. His pulse was pounding at the thought of such a daring and impulsive action. 

They shook on it, and then Bill leaned forward interestingly. "So, what if you did find the right person? What would happen then?"

"Where's this going?"

Shrugging, Bill realised he probably came off as eager and awkward. He leant back, propping himself up on one elbow. "Nowhere. Just curious."

"Well, I don't really know." Leaning back on the crusty pillows, Dipper looked off thoughtfully. "A life and family would be nice. All that jazz."

Bill groaned. "Laaame."

"Hey, just because I don't fall in love with every girl I meet doesn't mean I'm lame, man whore."

"Stop calling me that."

Sensing Bill's anger rising, Dipper decided to not push his luck. "Sorry."

_**3:00am** _

The brunets watch bleeped as the hour changed, and he looked at it blearily, groaning as he read the display. 

"It's already 3am, man. We should try and get some sleep."

"Aw, why? I was having fun!"

"Yeah, well, you won't be having fun when you're falling asleep at the wheel tomorrow. Also, weren't you complaining about not being able to sleep earlier?"

"That was when I was sleepy, but you've woken me up now. Cant you drive tomorrow?"

The preposition sparked doubts in Dipper's stomach. "What? N-no!"

Rolling onto his stomach curiously, Bill tilted his head. "What's the problem? You said you've got a licence and all."

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

Swallowing his anxiety, Dipper gritted his teeth. "Fine. I'll drive tomorrow if you're so dead set on staying up."

Grinning lazily, Bill shut his eyes and rolled back over. "I was kidding, dude. I'm ready to die, let alone sleep, and I'd be happy to drive tomorrow. But, since you insist~"

"Hey, wait! You tricked me! Really stupidly, too!"

The blonde shrugged and poked his tongue through his teeth. "I don't make the rules. Night, pine sapling."

Dipper bristled as Bill stretched and lay facing away from him. Within minutes, the taller man was snuffling softly in his sleep, and the brunet just couldn't stay mad when Bill looked so adorable. 

"Night, asshole," the brunet said playfully, lying down as well, and sleep overtaking him almost immediately. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoa!!! it's been a hella long time!!!! kill me lol
> 
> but aye take another update for now i hope ill be back soon lmao here I go
> 
> hope you liked it b ye


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